Half a Knight

[lkaufman]

I'm thinking that a good way to do a Rapid match between a top engine and a top GM is at the handicap of "half a knight". Here is how this would work. Players alternate colors; in the odd numbered games the engine plays Black with rook a8 removed, while White removes one knight (may alternate between b1 and g1 or just specify b1). In the even numbered games the engine plays White with both knights removed, while Black plays with rook a8 removed. So Black is always without a8 rook, while White has one knight when it's the GM, no knights when it's the engine. So every two games the GM has one more knight, with everything else balanced over all games. The engine evals for these positions are both about the same (from the GM's point of view) and are both similar to the evals for the two pawn handicaps used in the recent Stockfish vs vanForeest match. It has the advantage that all pawns are present, making most named openings possible, and it doesn't matter how large or small the advantage of the Exchange is, since both engine and human will have that advantage in alternate games, only the engine will be missing a knight when it is up the Exchange. We have had a few games in the past with Komodo vs GMs (roughly 2500 to 2600) at Exchange + move odds, with about half draws and half Komodo wins, suggesting that this might be fair for a GM in the 2700s. The two knights for a rook handicaps has never been tried on record, but should be about the same. No plans for this now, it's just an idea at this point.

[JJJ]

I like it.

[lkaufman]

I like it.

I may try some simulations vs. computer opponents to see if it works out as expected.